Camp Athens

Camp Athens is held at Camp Lone Star, which is managed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and situated in the piney woods a few miles outside of Athens, Texas. The facility is approximately an hour’s drive southeast of downtown Dallas. The camp offers many amenities: plenty of air-conditioned dorm space for our campers; staff housing, including private housing for most staff; an indoor air-conditioned gym for basketball, volleyball, and fitness/wellness; a swimming pool; plenty of air-conditioned meeting rooms for indoor activities; a small lake for water activities; fields for outdoor activities and sports; an archery range; a staff lounge; a covered pavilion for pickleball; a newly constructed worship hall for Sabbath services that overlooks the lake; and a newly renovated kitchen and dining hall. CYC has exclusive use of the entire facility throughout the duration of camp.

Activities are varied, ranging from many indoor activities, including Christian Living and dance, to active outdoor activities. The outdoor activities vary from year to year, depending on staff expertise. At present, we are again planning water activities (water polo at the pool; waterskiing/tubing at nearby Lake Athens).

“Open Activities” and “Social Time” are typically offered on three nights during camp. Many of the daily activities are offered at this time, but on some nights we’ll offer other specialty activities, including capture the flag, table games, waterskiing and “camper/staff mixer” sporting activities. Also, throughout the week campers may choose to seek proficiency awards in archery, basketball, 1-mile swim, volleyball, waterskiing, the 5-minute planking challenge, and the Bible (reciting books of the Bible in order, the short form of the 10 Commandments in order, and the holy days and their meanings in order).

Camp Athens offers many opportunities to visit with fellow campers at meals, joint swimming sessions and dance classes, the lakefront activity, evening activities (including dorm team-building games on some nights) and snack time, as well as on the Sabbath and during our two all-camp dances—one early in the week and the other the final night. On Friday night, the camp enjoys a special dinner for the camp. All lunches and dinners include a full salad bar.

Christian Living classes, daily Compass Checks, Bible Q&A sessions, and group Bible games and activities—facilitated by the ministerial staff—help give a solid base of biblical instruction as well as discussion of the yearly camp theme. Additionally, campers and staff are given the opportunity to be a part of the camp choir, which will sing for Sabbath services, and also audition to potentially offer special music during the service.

A note to our volunteers: We are always in need of certified archery instructors and certified lifeguards. We need at least one lifeguard with an “open water” certification. For kitchen staff, it would be helpful (although not mandatory) for you to hold a current food handler’s license.

Camper arrival
Campers should arrive Sunday, July 26, between 3 and 4 p.m. We are unable to provide early check-in, so please do not arrive prior to 3 p.m.

Staff arrival
Staff should arrive for training on the Sabbath of July 25. We will hold a 3 p.m. Sabbath service on-site at camp, eat dinner afterward, and then begin staff training that night after sunset.

Travel information
We provide transportation free of charge from DFW International and Dallas Love Field airports to camp and back again for those who travel by air. Please try to arrange flights to arrive on Sunday, July 26, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and flights to depart on Sunday, Aug. 2, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.